Combination light fixture and ornament mounting



June 15, 1943.

F. I. 'sz LLA COMBINATION LIGHT, FIXTURE AND ORNAMENT MOUNTING 'Filed Oct. 23, 1942 I Patented June 15, 1943 COMBINATION LIGHTFIXI'IIPURE AND ORNAMENT MOUNTING Frank I. Szalla, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 23, 1942, Serial No. 463,298

3 Claims.

This invention is directed to a combination fixture adapted for use as an electric light fixture as well as a supporting and holding means for decorative elements which may be movably mounted in such fixture.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel light fixture which is preferably open at its upper end, which has its forward or face wall portion formed of light translucent material such as plastic composition or of other decorative material, and which has the remaining portion of its side walls preferably continuous and formed of any suitable stamped or molded material which is adapted to have its forwardly extending edges connected to the lateral edges of the said forward face.

A'further important object of my invention is the provision of a novel fixture adapted to be mounted on the wall or other supporting surface and adapted to mount an electric socket and light globe therein, and which has means extending from its side wall to provide fo convenient mounting of an electric socket, and which has its forward wall formed of a suitable decorative material which is preferably translucent, and which forward wall has mounted adjacent to it a tube-like member in which removable decorative elements, i.'e. artificial flowers, may be mounted to be held projected above said fixture.

'A further important object of my invention is the provision of a fixture which has its upper end open and which has its main wallportions formed from asingle blank of metal or other equivalent material, i. e. plastic, and whose wal1 portions gradually converge outwardly and upwardly, the normally forward edges of said bent blank extending forwardly and away from the back thereof, and such forward upwardly extending edges having secured therebetween a decorative panel preferably of light translucent material, and having means at its lower end whereby an electric socket may be conveniently mounted to support alight globe therein.

Other and further important objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying claims.

This invention (in one preferred form) is illustrated and described in the following:

On the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my fixture unit looking at the forward face or forward portion thereof.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view looking at the rear face thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view plan of a typical blank of metal or the like which when bent as described forms the main part of the unit.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and illustrating a globe in position and one form of an ornament holding element therein.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view with parts broken away.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral I0 designates generally a metal shell which ma be either bent into the shape illustrated from a single blank of relatively thin bendable sheet material substantially of the shape illustrated in Fig.3.. Said shell may be molded in instances where plastic material is to be utilized. Numeral I l designates the rear wall, and numerals l2 and I3 designate the integral side walls which are formed by bending the sheet along two nonparallel upwardly and outwardly inclined lines illustrated generally by AB and CD respectively. This forms the rear part into generally trapezoidal shape, though such shape may vary according to the particular desire or requirement. The blank sheet forming said rear wall I I and said side wall I2 and I3, is so cut as to have integral extensions at one end which are bent angularly and inwardly as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 to form integral inwardly directed bottom extensions or Wings [4 and 15 respectively, and a third intermediate integral extension of the blank is also bent angularly and inwardly to form a mountng flange l6 which is apertured for the reception of a socket mounting globe as hereinafter described.

The upwardly and downwardly extending normally forward edges of the continuous side walls 12 and i3 and designated as Na and lZa respectively, are preferably, though not necessarily, gradually curved as indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, said edges being illustrated as converging gradually inwardly and terminating at the bottom of the fixture as shown in the lower part of Figs. 3 and 4. Each of said curved edges |3a and IZa have a plurality of suitably spaced apart apertures therein as illustrated to provide for the reception of suitable screws I! which are mounted therein and into lateral edge portions of the hereinafter described face member.

The forward wall or face designated by numeral 28 may be formed of any suitable decorative material, though preferably being of a translucent plastic, and being gradually curved toconform generally to the opening between the forward edges l3a and Ho of the side walls l2 and 13 respectively. In the illustration of the drawing, said face member is illustrated as being gradually curved inwardly and downwardly and having its opposite lateral edges fitting between the inner surfaces of the edges I 3a and I2a of side wall I3 and I2.

Said face member preferably is formed with a relatively thickened outwardly and inwardly extending portion or bead I9 whose lower limits generally are illustrated in Fig. 4. The particular dimension or decorative outline of such upper thickened portion I9 of face member I8 may be varied according to desire, though said upper rim or bead I9 provides an adequately strong portion for the securing thereto of an ornamentsupporting element by means of a bolt 26 or the like which passes through said rim or bead I9 as illustrated in Fig. 4. The provision of this thickened upper edge rim or flange I9 permits formation of the intermediate portions of the face of relatively thin dimension which is of special advantage where such translucent face member is molded from a plastic material.

A tube-like holder member 2| of metal or other suitable material is secured in suspended position within the fixture unit and inside of the forward wall I8 by means of suitable bolt 20 which passes through a suitable aperture formed in one end of said holder member and through an aperture formed in the upper rim or bead of the front wall I8 substantially as illustrated in Fig. 3. Said holder member provides a convenient means for mounting any suitable form of decorative elements such as artificial flowers, glass ornaments or the like, which have a stem or other portion thereof of such size as to be insertable into the upper end of said holder member 2|. Such decorative elements may be readily removed and replaced according to desire by merely withdrawing the same from mounted position in said holder member 2|.

, As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, a suitable electric bulb-receiving socket 23 is adapted to be mounted within said unit, preferably by means of a suitable bolt which passes through the base of such socket 23 and through the aperture formed in the mounting flange I6. In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a typical light bulb mounted in said socket 22 which is purely optional, it being understood that said fixture mounting means may be used in numerous instances without any lightproducing unit therein. In the illustration of the drawing, a segment of suitable electric circuit wires are illustrated which. are connected in the conventional manner to said socket. I In Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, I have illustrated the rear panel or wall II as bearing a suitable opening at its upper end by means of which the fixture may be either temporarily or permanently secured to a wall or the like by a screw or other equivalent fastening elements.

The particular size or shape of said ornament holding tube-like unit ZI may be varied according to requirement or desire, so long as it possesses an upper opening in which decorative elements may be mounted. A wide range of plastic or translucent materials may be used in the formation of the front wall or walls of my unit so that various ornaments and decorative effects may be produced by the use of one or more of my devices as both utilitarian and decorative fixtures which may be either permanently mounted upon walls or removably mounted thereon by means of any suitable fastening element.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention or any features thereof.

I claim:

1. In an open ended fixture of the described class, a receptacle composed of a continuous wall whose opposite lateral edge portions are bent to extend substantially in the same general direction; a curved translucent forward wall member mounted between the opposite lateral edges of said continuous wall and defining an enclosing chamber of gradually enlarged dimensions; an apertured flange on the lower edge of said continuous wall providing a mounting element and support for an electric socket, and screws extending through the edges of said continuous wall and engaging said forward wall member to secure the latter.

2. In an open ended fixture of the described class, a continuous wall bent along two spaced apart longitudinally extending paths to define a rear wall portion and two opposed side wall portions which extend in substantially the same general direction; a translucent forward wall member secured between the forward edge of said side wall portions; inwardly bent bottom flanges integral with the lower ends of said side wall portions; an apertured mounting flange on the lower end of said rear wall portion, said flanges forming supports for an electric socket or the like and fastening elements connecting the edges of said forward wall member and the adjacent edges respectively of said side wall portions.

3. In an open ended fixture of the described class, a continuous wall bent along two spaced apart longitudinally extending paths to define a rear wall portion and two opposed side wall portions which extend in substantially the same general direction; a translucent forward wall member secured between the forward edge of said side wall portions; inwardly bent bottom flanges integral with the lower ends of said side wall portions; an apertured mounting flange on the lower end of said rear wall portion, said flanges forming supports for an electric socket or the like and fastening elements connecting the edges of said forward wall member and the adjacent edges respectively of said side wall portions and a tubelike ornament supporting member suspended between said front wall member and said continuou wall and connected at its upper end to said front wall member.

FRANK I. SZALLA. 

